Comments on: Did Neanderthals’ Hasty Growth Hamper Their Mental Development? http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/11/16/did-neanderthals-hasty-growth-hamper-their-mental-development/ 80beats is DISCOVER's news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day's most compelling topics. Tue, 22 May 2012 17:56:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: A.Irvin http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/11/16/did-neanderthals-hasty-growth-hamper-their-mental-development/comment-page-1/#comment-429335 A.Irvin Sun, 21 Nov 2010 03:53:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=22812#comment-429335 Perhaps the fact that Neanderthal children grew up in a hurry had less to do with their intellectual development, (or lack thereof) and their intellectual development had less to do with their failure to out compete modern humans. Maybe, they grew up fast because adult Neanderthals did not live as long and slow developing children without parents dont tend to leave heirs and pass down those genes for leisurely development. The reason we out competed them may not reflect our superior mental development as individuals at all, but rather the fact that we had more elders, and thus, a greater store of knowledge that allowed bands of modern humans to survive things that the younger (on average) less experienced, (overall) bands of Neanderthals could not. Today we look at our elders as useless, cast asides in many cases. But for bands of people without writing, elders would have made a huge difference in the survival of the whole group as a storehouse of knowledge. If modern humans outlived Neanderthals by about 20 years or so, that more than any difference mental development might have given us the edge. Perhaps the fact that Neanderthal children grew up in a hurry had less to do with their intellectual development, (or lack thereof) and their intellectual development had less to do with their failure to out compete modern humans.

Maybe, they grew up fast because adult Neanderthals did not live as long and slow developing children without parents dont tend to leave heirs and pass down those genes for leisurely development.

The reason we out competed them may not reflect our superior mental development as individuals at all, but rather the fact that we had more elders, and thus, a greater store of knowledge that allowed bands of modern humans to survive things that the younger (on average) less experienced, (overall) bands of Neanderthals could not.

Today we look at our elders as useless, cast asides in many cases. But for bands of people without writing, elders would have made a huge difference in the survival of the whole group as a storehouse of knowledge. If modern humans outlived Neanderthals by about 20 years or so, that more than any difference mental development might have given us the edge.

]]> By: BillF http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/11/16/did-neanderthals-hasty-growth-hamper-their-mental-development/comment-page-1/#comment-425223 BillF Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:44:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=22812#comment-425223 Really, we know now that WE are part Neanderthal. Are 4% more "primate" than "human"?? It's a ridiculous statement anyway because humans ARE primates and Neanderthals clearly were/still are human. One more pitiful attempt to "prove" the supremacy of "modern" human intellect...and we must be superior as we are the only primates---indeed the only humans even--- to threaten the planet with global warming Really, we know now that WE are part Neanderthal. Are 4% more “primate” than “human”?? It’s a ridiculous statement anyway because humans ARE primates and Neanderthals clearly were/still are human. One more pitiful attempt to “prove” the supremacy of “modern” human intellect…and we must be superior as we are the only primates—indeed the only humans even— to threaten the planet with global warming

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